*slides in ala Joel Goodson* Not dead!

I don't have much of an explanation beyond "life happens." That and I need to learn how to juggle two long fics at once. The irony is this second long fic was supposed to be just self-indulgent, next thing I know I've got a whole OC cast…

Chapter Thirty-Three
One Who Bullies Bullies

Tuesday, May 31st

They still had five days to wait until the end of Madarame's exhibition. Whenever Yusuke informed them of Madarame's behavior, he always made it sound like he had been acting out of character since they took his Treasure. So the change of heart had to have happened, it was just the waiting game that was making Chiyo a little anxious. Kamoshida had chosen the most dramatic way possible to confess his crimes as opposed to just going to the people he needed to or just turning himself in. Then again, given Madarame's position as a public figure, maybe a public confession was the best way to go.

She was walking the last stretch to school, surrounded by students of a similar age in identical uniforms as her. "You sure about that, Takanashi?" she heard someone ask darkly. "I can't imagine you want me to release this video of you stealing…"

The mention of Takanashi made Chiyo miss a step briefly. She was coming up to a couple of boys off to the side, she recognized one of them as Takanashi. He was with another boy, who looked like he was just barely able to hold back the urge to punch Takanashi's teeth out. "Fine!" snapped Takanashi. "Just stop making me bleed people dry, Sakoda!"

"Hey! You did all that on your own," argued Sakoda. "You really want me to show this to your teachers, huh, Takanashi? Another word out of you and I'll debut your film to the whole world. The 'Yoshimori Sakoda Tapes' will be a huge hit!"

"C'mon, you made me do it! Damn it…"

So it was like Takanashi's Shadow said, someone else was pressuring Takanashi into his bullying actions. Yoshimori Sakoda. Yoshimori Sakoda. Chiyo needed to commit that name to memory. Just long enough to visit this kid in Mementos.

Continuing her trek, Chiyo got out her phone.

Chiyo: You guys remember what Takanashi said in Mementos?
Ann: Yeah, he said someone was making him do what he was doing.
Chiyo: I just overheard Takanashi trying to cut ties with him. He's got some dirt on Takanashi.
Chiyo: Pretty sure Takanashi's being blackmailed at this point.
Ryuji: Guy like that's gotta have a hit in Mementos.
Ryuji: I say we go for it after school!
Ann: Well, is everyone free for it?
Yusuke: I can make it.
Yusuke: Madarame hasn't been asking too much of me as of late.
Chiyo: I'm available.
Ann: Alright, let's meet up at the hideout after school.

During class that morning, Inui went off on a tangent about how he'd gotten into pond fishing lately. This led to the brief topic of sea fishing, then the subject changed to the pirate captain, William Kidd.

Chiyo's brow arched at the mention of it. William Kidd… as in Captain Kidd. Arsène, as in Arsène Lupin. Wasn't Zorro a character in a series of movies in the West? Some sort of outlaw who inspired an American superhero? Carmen was a Roma girl in an opera caught between two suitors but did what she wanted. And the more Chiyo thought about it the more she realized Goemon had to be named for the outlaw Ishikawa Goemon.

Arsène. Zorro. Captain Kidd. Carmen. Goemon. All their Persona appeared to be based on historical and fictional outlaws. It wasn't just their individual Persona's either, the Shadow's Chiyo made into Persona, some of them shared their names with figures in Japanese and Shinto mythology. Wasn't Jack Frost one such similar figure in the West? What about the others? If Chiyo looked up their names on the internet, would she find something on them too?

Perhaps it was related to the collective subconscious Morgana mentioned. With that in mind, Chiyo supposed it made sense that Shadow's would take the form of mythological demons and trickster spirits. Maybe it was something Chiyo could ask Morgana later when he had his memory back.

Ann and Chiyo meet with Ryuji outside the gate and headed to the hideout together. Yusuke was already there waiting for them by the time they arrived. Chiyo dipped her back onto the floor, allowing Morgana out.

"Today seems like a perfect day to head into Mementos," he said, hopping onto the rail by the window. "Chiyo and I overheard Takanashi confronting a boy who sounded like he was using bullies under his control."

"He has a tape on Takanashi and is using it to keep him in line," Chiyo explained.

"Ah, jeez, people 'round our age are pullin' that crap?" muttered Ryuji. "Let's get that shitty bastard."

"If this guy's the one behind Takanashi's bullying he might be tougher than Takanashi," Ann pointed out. "But I think we can accomplish this if we say we can!"

"Sounds like we're in agreement, then," said Yusuke.

"Okay," Morgana said, jumping back down to the floor. "Now all that's left is to take down the target in Mementos!"

Mementos had barely changed as they traveled to Aiyatsbus. Joker was, once again driving Mona around. They'd stop several times to battle Shadows, Joker added Obariyon, Andreas, and Archangel to her repertoire. As they battled Captain Kidd and Zorro gained a new skill each.

Aside from stopping in the middle of the track to gather Jose's flowers, it was a rather uneventful journey. They found Sakoda's Shadow, evident first by the twisting track, then the thick red veins in his chamber. The Shadow was still wearing his school uniform.

"That's the guy," said Joker.

"Look at 'im," Skull muttered as the group got out of the van. "Thinks he's some kinda hotshot."

"He's the guy who's really behind all that bullying, right?" asked Panther. Behind the group, Mona transformed back into his bipedal form.

"Yeah. If we wanna stop the bullying, we gotta take him down."

Sakoda hadn't noticed them yet. It seemed to be the trend with each of the Mementos targets. Was it possible a person's Shadow could only see so far in Mementos? Did Shadows that took the form of humans have similar human functions? Or did they siphon sleep and nutrients from their human counterpart?

As the group approached Sakoda, the Shadow took half a step back. Realization etched onto his face. "You think you can blame me for what I've done?" he demanded.

"Well, at least you know what we're here for," Joker said through a sigh.

"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, idiot!" snapped Sakoda. "Might makes right."

"No jerk's got the right to go around, blackmailin' people!" Skull shot back, getting his rod out and slinking it over his shoulder.

"The weak who can't survive in this world become prey for the strong. Nothing's wrong with that!"

"You gotta be kidding! You're not strong, you're just a coward who won't get his hands dirty!"

Sakoda chuckled. "And you're a stupid dog that's all bark and no bite!" He paused for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest to think. "You know what? Changed my mind. Dogs are stronger than cats or mice. You're just curbside trash! Now, time to die!"

As with the previous targets, Sakoda's body began to twitch and convulse. The miasma at his feet rose and pulled him into the pool. Like a porpoise bursting out of the sea, Sakoda's Shadow emerged, taking on a shape similar to Jack Frost. The Shadow Sakoda was a pitch-black snowman, wearing a cap and collar similar to Jack Frost. His eyes were red and frozen in an ugly glare. Little fangs were visible against its painted grin.

"Let me help you understand what survival of the fittest truly means!" shouted Sakoda. "I'll devour you all!"

"That mindset goes both ways, dumbass," Joker said, readying her ribbon.

Immediately, Panther removed her mask. Carmen appeared at her side, flouncing her skirt as a sign-on. The Roma removed her pipe as she cast Maragi. A burst of fire hit Sakoda, but he barely flinched. "Fire's no good here," Mona said, readying his sword. "We'll have to find another strategy for this one."

"Couldn't have noticed that before I attacked?" Panther asked through a groan.

Mona followed Panther and Carmen's attack with his curved sword. Joker tossed her ribbon into the air and performed her series of tight chaîné turns. Her physical attack generated energy with each move of the ribbon. Returning to the others, Joker performed one-handed cartwheels, circling her ribbon all the while. Catching back up with the others, Joker finished with a one-handed handspring.

Out of a sense of curiosity, Fox called forth Goemon and tried attacking the Shadow Sakoda with an ice attack. It did nothing to Sakoda. After Goemon disappeared and Fox's mask reappeared, Skull whacked Sakoda over the head with his rod. Getting angry, Sakoda cartoonishly brought a fist back and threw it forward.

Mona started shaking so hard his stubby arms wrapped around himself, while frost clung to Joker and Skull's coats. Fox had been barely affected by Sakoda's attack. That was likely thanks to Goemon. Panther and Fox followed up with a physical attack, then Skull tried an electric attack on Sakoda with little effect.

Over time, Mona began to warm up and tried a wind attack on Sakoda. When that failed, Joker removed her mask and called forth the first Persona that came to mind, Archangel. It readied its blade as its red wing's unfurled. Sakoda cried out when a bright attack hit him.

"All right, I think you found his weakness, Joker!" cried Mona.

It was Fox who initiated an All-out Attack soon after. His movements for his finisher were graceful and elegant. Sakoda went down with one last physical attack from Mona. The Shadow slumped to the floor as miasma engulfed his person, returning the Shadow to its humanoid form.

"I'm not a loser!" Sakoda shouted, his hands balled uptight at his side. "I'm strong… I'm strong… aren't I?"

"Isn't it a dog-eat-dog world?" Joker asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "What would you say?"

Sakoda flinched.

"Why don't you just admit you lost?" Panther asked with a hand on her hip. "You're acting kind of pathetic right now."

"I know..."

"All right," Skull said, crossing his arms. "So, now's the time for you to get eaten. The strong eat the weak or somethin', right? When I'm done with you, there's gonna be nothin' left but bone."

Paling, Sakoda took a step back, falling to his knees. "Please, forgive me!" he pleaded, his hands clasped together above his head. "I'm sorry!"

"Y'know it's not us you gotta say sorry to, right?" asked Skull. Sakoda lowered his arms and lifted his head. "Go apologize to who you really need to apologize to!"

Slowly, Sakoda lowered his head, more out of confusion and bewilderment than out of fear this time around. A white light surrounded his person when the light died down, the bud of the treasure took his place. Joker gathered the bud into her hand, revealing it to be some sort of crystal or gemstone. Regardless of which it was, it was jagged, unpolished, and roughly cut.

"That should take care of the bullying issue," Panther said, stretching her arms above her head.

Before Mona changed back into a van, the group took a bit of Takemedic-All Z, deciding it was best not to risk it on the journey back. When Mona transformed, Joker slid inside behind the wheel, Skull in the passenger's seat, and Panther and Fox in back.

"A railway," Fox mused, gripping his chin. "Seeing them up close is a one-of-a-kind experience."

"Heck, I'm driving on them," pipped Mona.

"Yeah, you normally wouldn't see them in the first place," Panther said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Let alone drive on them…"

"Hey, wouldn't this help out if you wanted to get a license?" Skull asked Joker. His lips pursed as another thought crossed his head. "Wait, could you get a license? Y'know, all things considered."

"I don't know," Joker confessed. "On both accounts."

Joker hadn't actually thought about getting a driver's license. It never came up with Ryou, likely because something that optional would have been a distraction.

"I've been working on the railroad all the livelong day~" Skull sang.

"I've been working on the railroad, just to pass the time away~" chimed in Mona.

As they came to a three-way intersection, Skull and Mona's sing-along was interrupted by the sound of an engine revving up. A small, blue buggy went soaring through the air in front of them. The sudden obstacle caused Joker to hard turn Mona to avoid a collision. She could feel the opposite end of Mona lift off the ground as they stopped, forcing Skull, Fox, and Panther to shift their weight onto that side before Mona flipped over completely.

Mona let out a brief cry as his lifted side was forced back onto the ground, then he let out a strained sight. "Everyone okay?" Joker asked, looking over her shoulder at Panther and Fox.

"Yeah…" Panther's voice warbled. She tilted her head back so far it was hanging over the back seat. At her side, Fox had one arm around his stomach, the other balled up in front of his mouth. His skin was looking a little pale beneath his mask.

Joker looked back towards the buggy. The little driver eased his goggles off his face, around his neck. He peered into Mona's window, his face lighting up when he spotted who was inside. "Hi, Lady!"

"It's just Jose," Joker said through a sigh.

"Oh! His flowers!" Panther urged her to get out of the van immediately. One by one, the group climbed out of the van, allowing Mona to transform back.

Jose climbed out of his buggy, landing in such a way his raincoat fluttered around him. "Yo," Skull greeted. "You doin' alright?"

The boy nodded. "Shadows aren't that difficult if you know where this place's pressure points are," he said simply.

"Huh?" Skull uttered throatily, his head tilted to the side.

Mona exhaled, a high-pitched sound as he crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't outright glaring at Jose, but he was eyeing the boy intently.

"We found you some flowers," Panther said, holding out a boutique of yellow, daisy-like flowers.

"Thanks, Pretty Lady!" He took the boutique into his hands. The flowers simmered briefly and started to morph in a bright, golden yellow light. When the light died down, the boutique had transformed into a simple juice box, right down to the tiny straw. He brought the straw to his lips and drank a few gulps.

After a drink, Jose tilted his head back and slightly to the side in thought. He stayed in place for a few heartbeats before he tilted his head to the side, pursing his lips. "It's a little…" he paused for another moment, "happy and sad…?"

Joker exchanged looks between Skull, Panther, and Mona. "Bittersweet?" Fox offered, crossing his arms across his chest. "Melancholy? Nostalgic? Wistful?"

"Maaaybe," Jose murmured, dragging the word out. His brow suddenly perked. "Oh! I should have traded for the flowers first."

"Oh, that's not-" Panther began, but Jose was already climbing into his buggy.

He stood on his seat and reached into the pile strapped to the back of the vehicle. Going up to his shoulder, Jose stuck his tongue out of the corner of her mouth as he searched for something. His face lit up as he brought his arm back. Effortlessly he climbed down from the buggy and ran back up to the group. "Here you go, Lady!" Jose said, holding something out to Joker with both hands. "I found this while searching for flowers and thought I'd hold onto it for you."

It was a dance ribbon. Solid black with a brilliant sheen to the material. Lips pursed, Joker took the stick into her hand, lined her pointed finger along with the stick, and let the ribbon unravel at her feet. Twirling her wrist, she gathered the ribbon into small coils, then slowly eased her arm up, twirling her wrist faster and faster. Would a different ribbon have a different effect on Shadows in the Metaverse?

"You just found this?" Joker asked after she left the ribbon fall. She gathered it back into her hand and placed it in the inner pocket of her coat.

"Uh-huh," Jose said, nodding. "I find things while looking for flowers. I have other items I can trade with you for. Or I can make items out of crystals and ore."

"Like weapons?" Skull asked. He pulled his rod out of its harness at his waist. It had gotten fairly beaten up over time, dents and black stains littered the surface.

Almost self-continuously, Panther wrapped a hand over her whip, which was beginning to fray. "I see," Fox murmured, gripping his chin in thought. "An alliance like this could come in handy while we're in Mementos."

"You said you make items out of crystals and ore?" Joker asked. She reached into her outer pocket and brought out the crystals formed from the Will Seeds. Gathering both in her hand, she showed them to Jose. "Can you make something out of these?"

Staring at the crystals, Jose tilted his head to the side. "I've never seen crystals like these before," he said. He reached out for the crystal from Kamoshida's Palace and took it into his tiny hand. "But I don't think it should be that difficult."

He placed the crystal back in Joker's hand. Once again, Jose climbed into his buggy; he tugged at a few cords keeping his things in place. A couple of wooden crates plopped to the ground. He hopped down, and opened one of the crates, revealing an assortment of rods, whips, curved swords, and katanas. Jose lifted the lid of the other box and dug out a few tools small enough for someone his size. A tiny little hammer, a little pick, and other materials. "You can look through some of the items I found while I work on these creepy crystals."

Skull and Panther uttered an 'Oooooh,' in perfect unison as they leaned over the open crate.

"Are we really not gonna talk about how he just happens to have the very weapons we need?" Mona asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

As the other looked through Jose's items, the small boy laid out his materials and tools within the light from his buggy. He approached Joker, holding a hand out to her, and she placed the crystals into his hand. "Thanks, Lady," he said.

He seated himself on the floor, a leg on either side of his work area, like a little kid in the sandbox. Expertly, Jose got his pick and hammer, and placed the tip of the pick against the Lust crystal, and gently brought the hammer down against the other end. Joker leaned against Jose buggy as he tapped, tapped, tapped against the Lust crystal. "There's something odd about these crystals," Jose said without looking up at Joker.

"What do you mean?" asked Joker. "I mean, I agree, but what do you think about it?"

He held up Kamoshida's crystal, already he had gotten a crack to web down between two of the skulls. "I can almost hear whispers coming from them," Jose explained. "'Why shouldn't I call an idiot what they are?' 'Lookit the ass on that one.' 'Why'd you make me hit you.' Not so nice stuff like that."

"Well, there are people who are not so nice."

"I know that," Jose began, getting back to work. "What I don't understand is why they get like that."

"A lot of things," Joker said, tilting her head back. "It's difficult out there and other people make it harder."

"So, it's to keep themselves safe?"

"In a way." Joker rubbed the back of her neck. Was she the right person to be discussing human emotion with someone who probably wasn't human? Joker struggled to get a grasp on her own emotions half the time. "But people like the one we got the crystal from use those hardships as an excuse to treat people like dung under their boots."

"But why?" Jose asked. He brought his hammer down on his pick and the skulls split, revealing a purple stone in the center. He took the stone into one hand and got out a tan-yellow square. Sandpaper perhaps. "If everyone's trying to navigate through life, shouldn't they be more understanding of each other?"

"You would think," Joker said through a sigh. "But instead they tend to throw each other under the bus in an attempt to get ahead. Well, not everyone, some try to make things better, but it sometimes feels like the bad ones outnumber the good ones."

The boy's lips pursed tight to the side, his brow knitted together in thought as he continued to work. As the minutes ticked by he put together a ring out of the Crystal of Lust, then Jose silently worked on the Crystal of Vanity. Joker heard the mumbled chatter amongst the others as they looked through Jose's wears.

A metallic tapping echoed gently around the area as Jose broke into the Crystal of Vanity. Finally, the skull shell split into two large pieces and a handful of smaller ones, revealing a dark red stone in the center. Like before Jose smoothed the stone out with a bit of sandpaper. He crafted despite the black gloves on his hand, the fabric never getting snagged or torn.

Finally, the others closed the lid of the trunk Jose let them search through, each one carrying a shining new melee weapon. Both Skull and Mona boastfully slung their new bludgeon and curved sword over their shoulders respectively.

"Here we go, Lady!" Jose said, holding out two rings for Joker.

The ring was made from the Crystal of Lust was purple with partial spirals, almost like the horn's Shadow Kamoshida had as Asmodeus, carved across the surface. The Crystal of Vanity was red, carved into the shape of a peacock feather wrapped around itself. "Thank you, Jose," Joker said, accepting the rings into her hand. "Maybe we can find a use for these."

Standing up, Jose patted himself down to dust himself off. Satisfied with himself, he flashed Joker a thumbs up.

After Jose cleaned up his tools, Skull and Joker helped Jose get his boxes back onto the back of his buggy. "You sure you're gonna be okay on your own?" Panther asked as the boy climbed into his vehicle.

"Yep," was Jose's simple response. He seated himself behold the wheel and buckled himself in. "I know my way around this place."

"Really?" Her head tilted to the side. "I thought this place was always changing…"

Without another word, Jose moved his goggles up over his nose and carefully readjusted them until he was satisfied. He turned his gaze at the Phantom Thieves, grinning. "That said it probably isn't too smart to stay in one place too long," he said. With one hand on the steering wheel, Jose gave the group a thumbs up. "Good job!"

The buggy engine roared to life and Jose took off down one of the train tracks, leaving the group looking on in his wake.

"No, blue tiles are how far your army can move," Ann said before she took a swig from her drink.

"Em'kay, I thunk eh gut it," Ryuji said through a mouthful of burger meat.

"You gotta try to read the instructions, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Just finished the first chapter," Chiyo murmured, absently dropping Morgana's fries into her bag.

"I've barely started," admitted Yusuke. In unison, the other three teens turned their heads towards Yusuke who was staring at his phone intently with a burger in one hand. "The designs all vary in style and color, on top of each artist's style, it's a little difficult to find the right aesthetic in only four characters."

"Uh, dude," Ryuji began slowly, "I don't think that's the poi-"

He was cut off by both Chiyo and Ann gesturing to him to just let it go.

After leaving Mementos the gang decided to get something to eat at Big Bang Burger. Chiyo still wasn't sure how it started, just that Ann got her phone out to play this turn-based, swords and sorcery gacha spin-off from a game series she liked. Next thing Chiyo know the other three were downloading the game and working on building the teams they could with what few characters you could get from starting a game.

The game provided a bit of a distraction for Chiyo. One foot in the restaurant and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She could almost hear Ryou's criticism. "You don't want to become fat and ugly, do you?"

She dragged her finger across the screen of her phone, moving the character she knew nothing about a few squares forward to face off against a generic enemy. If nothing else, this mobile game was doing its job, Chiyo was curious about who the heck these characters were. But if Ann was to be believed the series spanned several game consoles, and just getting one, never mind the game, made Chiyo's wallet shutter.

"Do we need to play the main games to know what's going on in this?" Chiyo asked, looking up from her phone.

"Not really," answered Ann. "Good thing, too. I haven't actually played half these games."

The group parted ways when they finished eating. Before making her trek to the train station, Chiyo stretched her arms over her head, suddenly nostalgic for her gymnastic stretching. At the station square, Chiyo was passing the train car, where the middle-aged politician was speaking again.

"There have been far too many incidents recently to ignore! Can anyone deny this?!" the politician argued. "The runaway-train incident, mysterious psychotic breakdowns, a school with corrupt teachers! We have yet to discover the truth of it all!"

Chiyo couldn't help but suck on her lower lip at the mention of Shujin and Kamoshida. She was going to have to watch her body language, lest she accidentally say, 'Hey, guess what, I was involved in this thing that happened!'

Still, the politician continued. "The apathy that permeates society is a direct result of negligence by our government and media."

'Apathy' seemed like the best word to describe one of society's biggest problems. From Shujin's Academy's apathy towards Kasmoshida's lecherous behavior to the artworld enabling Madarame, to the man who ruined Chiyo's life, apathy had a role in all of them. They weren't even isolated incidence, but Japanese society had something of an apathy problem, the more Chiyo thought about it. How students were expected to just suck it up when they were being bullied, how salary workers were expected to work grueling hours in exchange for their health.

It wasn't until someone's elbow bumped into her's did Chiyo realize that the politician had finished his speech for the night. The man released a sigh, and then his eyes met with Chiyo's. Instantly, she felt her cheeks flush. "You were listening quite intently," he said. "Are you interested in politics?"

"A-A little." She held onto the straps of her bag. "It's a little unwise to block out the subject entirely."

The politician nodded slowly, accepting the answer. "Are you a student?"

"Second-year high school."

"Well, I'm delighted to captivate the interest of someone your age." Shifting his weight onto one leg, the older man gripped his chin in thought. "I could use the help of a young person, but I can't hire someone without any experience."

Was he talking to himself, or Chiyo?

"Sorry about that," he said at length. "That said, I would be happy if you stopped by to hear one of my speeches again. Well, that's it for the day. I'm heading to the beef bowl shop."

The man at Chiyo briefly before he left to speak with someone who might have been working with him for his platform. Chiyo eased her way back into the busy crowd before she made her way back on the path to the train station.

"Eating at a beef bowl shop?" murmured Morgana. "That's pretty humble for a politician…"

"Could be a new arrival on the scene?"

"Getting into politics at that age, though? That doesn't really make him seem like he knows what he's talking about if that's true."

"Didn't stop the American's from the sounds of it…"

"While he doesn't seem to be that popular, his speech-giving skills might be useful in the Metaverse. A little persuasion of Shadows and targets goes a long way. Ooh! You should try getting a job at the beef bowl shop!"

"But I like the conbini life…"

Abruptly, Morgana let out a surprised 'eep!' when her phone started vibrating. Takemi had just sent Chiyo a message asking if she could swing by the clinic for a quick trial run. It wasn't as though she had much else to do this evening.

"Okay, that's all for today." Takemi hadn't looked up as she jotted something down in her notes. "If you're feeling okay, you can head home now."

Chiyo swallowed a few times, still getting a bit of aftertaste from the medicine. She wasn't sure if she should be glad that she wasn't fainting after trying it anymore, or if she should be longing for it to spare herself of the taste. Chiyo was about to point this out when Takemi's phone started ringing. Without looking up, she reached for her phone and brought it to her ear.

"Hello. Doctor Takemi's Clinic of Internal Medicine." She paused, Chiyo could hear there was someone on the other line, but couldn't make out what they were saying. "What? Again? That's well… that ship's sailed, so…"

The person on the other line hung up. Takemi stared at her phone briefly, then let out an aggravated sigh before she slid it back into her pocket. "What a pain…"

"Debt collectors?" Chiyo asked, trying to make a light-hearted joke.

"No. Do you remember the girl from last time? The Chief of Staff Oyamada's patient? Her dad's bringing her here to be treated even though I referred them to another hospital."

Brow furrowed, Chiyo pursed her lips. "Are you allowed to tell me this?"

"I even told them about the medical error I made," Takemi continued, seemingly ignoring Chiyo's concern. It seemed Takemi was in a telling mood. "The medical error was well documented, too. Everyone in my field knows about it. I led the development of a new drug for an incurable illness called 'Crawford Ende's disease'.

"Although I wasn't the one who administered the medicine, it was still the cause of the error. With Crawford-Ende's, certain cells indiscriminately attack other cells in the body. When it reaches the muscles the patient slowly begins to die. There hasn't been much progress in it, partially because it's a rare condition. I worked with a pharmaceutical company that reached the final stage of the production but…

"One day, I was suddenly removed from my position. The Chief of Staff Oyamada, my superior at the time, took over the entire operation. I didn't know if he wanted the glory of discovering a new drug, or to become rich and famous, but…"

Chiyo could feel her stomach churn. It wasn't that difficult to see where this was going.

"He made careless mistakes and rushed the completion so he could use it on a patient named Miwa."

"That's not the patient's real name, is it?" asked Chiyo. "Because I don't think I should know that-"

"Miwa-chan had a reaction and relapsed into critical condition. The chief panic and laid the blame on me. Miwa-chan and her family resented me… No matter what I said, I couldn't change how they felt about me."

Chances were Takemi probably should have spoken about this with someone else. Likely someone who was a practicing doctor as opposed to a high school student. "It's not too late," Chiyo said dumbly.

"That doesn't matter." Takemi shook her head. "The development of the medicine was suspended, so I had no reason to stay at the hospital. At least now I can keep working as a general practitioner, on my own terms… with my guinea pig."

She tossed Chiyo a particular look that gave her the inkling that their arrangement was going to continue with a different drug. Breaking the gaze, Takemi leaned over into her medical cooler and took out a vial of the same liquid she'd given Chiyo just minutes ago. "The medicine I've been trying out on you, this is the final stage of testing. It searches for those cells that take the offense and destroy them upon detection. THat's why it's harmless to the people who don't have the disease… Probably."

"'Probably?'" Chiyo repeated dubiously.

"You're a fit, healthy girl. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about." After Takemi put the vial back in the cooler, she leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest. "You better not flake on me this late in the game. I'm inching closer to the finish line, but I need your help to do it. So, I'm counting on you, guinea pig."

After an explanation like that, Chiyo wasn't sure she had much of a choice anymore.

"Now," Takemi continued, her attention back to her clipboard, "what should I do about that girl and her father. Being mean and scaring them hasn't worked. It's been a while since I had to deal with this kind of nuisance. It's stressing me out. Oh, sorry, that's all we had to do for the day. You can go home now."

Wednesday, June 1st

Upon getting off the train, Kasumi stretched her arms and shoulders. She wasn't able to get a seat that afternoon and needed to make herself small to fit the gaggle of students. She had been thinking of reviewing her last routine, trying to find what she needed help with before she talked to Kusakabe-senpai about gymnastics.

A few paces off the platform and Kasumi's breath was almost taken from her. "Miho!" she cried happily. "Miho-chan!"

She had spotted a group small group of students in dark blue blazer jackets and black skirts or slacks. Amongst the group was a girl with her black hair done in a loose braid that fell over her shoulder. Kasumi hadn't seen Miho since… since the…

Well, it was a relief to see her in a casual setting after they went to different high schools.

She saw Miho's eyes go wide and her face pale. She muttered something to her classmates and they disappeared up the flight of stairs to Shibuya. "It's been a while, Miho-chan," Kasumi said upon approaching the girl. "That shade of blue looks wonderful on you. Mother was asking if we've been talking, but I thought you wanted to adjust to high school first. I'm sorry, I can quite remember where you ended up going."

All the while, Miho was staring at Kasumi as though she were looking at a ghost. She opened her mouth, but Miho's voice came out as though Kasumi were underwater. Suddenly, she could feel an ache in her head, like a headache that came with eye strain. "**mi**?" Miho asked, her voice made her sound like she was much older than she was. "I-I heard from… Everyone at the gym was saying… Yo-You're really doing this?"

Blinking, Kasumi tilted her head to the side slightly. "Doing what?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"This!" Miho gestured to Kasumi's entire person, she carded her other hand through her bangs. Steadily, the other girl's pale face was flushing red, tears welling in her eyes. "This! I-I don't even- This is disgusting! What made you think this is remotely okay?!"

"I'm… sorry…" Kasumi took a half step back. This was so unlike Miho. Even if Miho had a problem with Kasumi or her sister, she usually took it up with them in private. "I don't know what-"

"You don't know?" Miho spat venomously. She was crying by now. Kasumi tried to approach Miho, but the girl held a hand out, stopping her. "Don't! Don't come near me. I-I-I'm not, I'm not dealing with this. Find me when you decide to be tasteful, **mi**!"

Kasumi heard Miho release a sob as she rounded on her heel, and ran upstairs to the surface, leaving Kasumi behind feeling confused and as though Miho had just struck her across the face.

The Charity Rank 2
The Death Rank 5

Author's Note: I am aware that having someone like Miho in Sumi's life kinda makes her akin to Kana for Futaba. Granted it's not like Atlus cared that Sumi is basically Diet Futaba, and I really want to put more focus on the negative aspects of Maruki's machinations and, given his abilities right now, the best way to show that right now is through Sumi.